dognovel Chapter 2104: Bearing the Burden!
Chapter 2104: Bearing the Burden!
Li Jing looked directly at Guo Ziyi, his tone calm, yet carrying an unwavering resolve:
“My mind is made up. Once the military affairs here have settled down, I will immediately write a memorial to Your Majesty, explaining in detail the reasons for the defeat and my faults.”
He submitted his resignation, resigning from all military posts, and requested the court to severely punish him in order to uphold military discipline and bring peace to the country.
"Li Shuai! Absolutely not!"
Guo Ziyi said urgently, "The morale of the army is currently unstable, and a powerful enemy is at our side. We need Commander Li to be in charge! As for the court..."
He knew that if Li Jingruo resigned at this time, it would be adding insult to injury for this already severely damaged army, and its morale would completely collapse.
However, Li Jing's gaze was unusually clear; he seemed to have already thought things through thoroughly, and he interrupted, saying:
"It is precisely because the morale of the army is wavering and a powerful enemy is at our side that I need to do this even more. How can an army led by a defeated general be regrouped?"
"My very existence will constantly remind the soldiers of this crushing defeat, becoming a shadow in their hearts."
"My departure may be the only chance for this army to be reborn."
He looked at Guo Ziyi and issued his first and most important military order after regaining consciousness:
"General Guo, my injuries have not yet healed, and I am too weak to attend to matters. From now on, you will be in full charge of all military affairs."
He paused, then continued, "The most important thing is to break away from direct contact with the Chu army."
"Han Xing is shrewd and Ma Chao is brave. Our army has just suffered a defeat and its morale is low. It is not advisable to confront them again, as it would only waste our strength and take unnecessary risks."
"Pass on my command: before dawn tomorrow, the entire army shall break camp and retreat fifty li."
“Choose a strategic location, rebuild the stronghold, hold it and wait for reinforcements, or await the next decree from the imperial court.”
Guo Ziyi opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him again.
But looking into Li Jing's resolute yet weary eyes, he knew that the old marshal's mind was made up, and all persuasion would be in vain.
At this moment, Li Jing doesn't need comfort, but rather to make the last thing he can do for this army, the arrangement he believes is the most correct.
He took the initiative to assume responsibility and relinquished command, allowing a more energetic general, unaffected by the direct shadow of this battle, to lead the remaining troops.
After a moment of silence, Guo Ziyi took a deep breath, straightened his body, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Jing, and replied in a deep and powerful voice, "This subordinate... obeys!"
These two words signify that he has taken on this unprecedentedly heavy burden.
This also means that an era belonging to Li Jing may truly be coming to a sad end with this crushing defeat.
The fate of the Tang Dynasty on its southern border would now rest in his hands and those of the remaining soldiers. The future was uncertain, and they had no choice but to forge ahead despite the heavy burden.
Almost simultaneously with Li Jing's decision to withdraw his troops from the Tang army camp.
Ma Chao led his equally exhausted Chu cavalry, whose morale was still high after ultimately forcing back Guo Ziyi's main force and rescuing Ma Dai's troops, back slowly to the Chu army camp guarded by Han Xing.
Compared to the bleak and oppressive atmosphere in the Tang army camp, the Chu army camp also showed signs of fierce fighting everywhere.
The damaged stockade walls had not yet been fully repaired, and the air was thick with the faint smell of blood and burnt flesh. The soldiers looked weary—but the overall atmosphere was quite different.
A sense of triumphant exhilaration and subtle excitement permeated the camp, even though the victory was somewhat incomplete because Li Jing had not been captured or killed.
The gates of the camp were wide open, and the soldiers who remained behind lined up to welcome their victorious comrades.
Many of them still bore the scars from yesterday's defense, but now they stood tall, casting admiring and inquiring glances at the cavalrymen who had pursued the enemy and returned from their valiant fight.
Ma Chao, mounted on his horse, nodded slightly to the soldiers who came to greet him, but his face did not show much pride. Instead, it carried a deep sense of contemplation after a great battle.
He instructed his deputy to arrange for the cavalry to return to camp for rest, treat the wounded, and take stock of the battle results and losses.
Without pausing for a moment, he removed his blood-stained and dust-covered heavy armor, changed into clean civilian clothes, and headed straight for the central command post where Han Xing was located.
He knew that Han Xing was waiting for his detailed report, and there were some things he had to make clear in person.
Han Xing was near the makeshift watchtower, discussing in hushed tones with several generals the further improvement of the camp's defenses and the deployment of scouts.
Seeing Ma Chao stride over, he waved away the others.
"General Ma, you've worked hard."
Han Xing stepped forward, his gray hair and beard fluttering slightly in the afternoon breeze, his face showing concern and inquiry.
"How's the battle going, Li Jing...?"
Ma Chao stopped in front of Han Xing and first solemnly clasped his hands in salute: "General Han."
He then took a deep breath and began to report clearly: "This humble general led his troops to pursue the remnants of Li Jing's forces, caught up with them north of Heifengyu, and fought a fierce battle with Qin Hong's rearguard troops sent by Li Jing, annihilating them and killing Qin Hong in battle."
Han Xing nodded slightly; this was within his expectations.
Ma Chao continued, "Afterwards, I surrounded Li Jing's remaining troops and was about to succeed when Guo Ziyi personally led over ten thousand cavalry to suddenly arrive and risk his life to rescue them."
"This humble general fought fiercely with the troops of his valiant general Yuchi Bo and Guo Ziyi's main force, killing and capturing many, and even capturing the Tang general Yuchi Bo alive."
Upon hearing "capture Yuchi Bo alive," Han Xing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he stroked his beard in praise:
"Excellent! Yuchi Bo is Guo Ziyi's right-hand man. Capturing this traitor is a remarkable achievement!"
This is indeed a significant achievement.
However, Ma Chao's face did not show any smugness; instead, a look of solemnity and shame appeared on his face.
He paused, his voice lowering: "However... Guo Ziyi's determination to rescue them is extremely firm, and his troops are all fresh and strong, no weaker than ours."
"The fierce battle raged into the night. Guo Ziyi adopted a strategy of fighting and retreating, covering each other. Although I, your humble general, fought bravely and relentlessly, my troops were exhausted from continuous battles, while the enemy's formation remained intact and their will to rescue them was firm."
Ultimately, they were unable to prevent him from joining up with Li Jing's remaining troops, and he was escorted to a safe area and retreated safely.
He raised his head, his gaze meeting Han Xing's with a frankness, devoid of any pretense or hesitation, but bearing the responsibility of a soldier facing the consequences head-on.
"General Han, Li Jing ultimately escaped, and Guo Ziyi successfully rescued him. This battle failed to achieve the ultimate goal of capturing or killing the enemy commander."
"This humble general's command may have been flawed; at the crucial moment, I failed to make the decisive move to force a breakthrough at any cost, resulting in our failure at the last hurdle. This is my fault!"
At this point, Ma Chao took a half step back, bowed deeply again, and said resolutely:
"This humble general is willing to take responsibility for this. Shortly afterward, this humble general will personally write a letter to Your Majesty detailing the entire pursuit operation, especially the process by which my poor decision-making led to Li Jing's escape. I will truthfully report this to Your Majesty and offer my apologies, awaiting Your Majesty's judgment!"
"I will take full responsibility for all the consequences and would never dare to implicate General Han or his soldiers!"